340Please respect copyright.PENANA2EPUTt63qR
Before the last class let out, I was stopped at the door by Veronica and Claire. They had been two of Cassie's friends, the other half of her otherwise horrible exterior, and had been giving me looks for days.340Please respect copyright.PENANAeMBgEVRR1Z
340Please respect copyright.PENANAu54eCuTsOn
"We have to talk to you," Veronica said. "It's important."340Please respect copyright.PENANAz3Ir6L1snb
340Please respect copyright.PENANAEAhuLwii5A
"It couldn't possibly be," I said, rolling my eyes. "The two of you have never had anything important or nice to say to me in four years. So what is it?"340Please respect copyright.PENANAhlTFQCR8D7
340Please respect copyright.PENANAL1vrA2Ptqj
"It's about Cassie," Claire offered kindly, stepping forward. She looked extremely sad at the mention of her friend. "She didn't hate you, you know. She put on an act and she wanted you to know that before she was--"340Please respect copyright.PENANAF45BIWSaRj
340Please respect copyright.PENANAz22YaZSmZr
"I guess you didn't go to the funeral," Veronica muttered. "But why would you when you thought she hated you? Maybe you should have gone, Kendall, that way you'd have known the truth."340Please respect copyright.PENANAXJJJAdo5jD
340Please respect copyright.PENANAavIU8sXD2b
"What are you talking about?" I asked, annoyed.340Please respect copyright.PENANA4t9zqhhUZs
340Please respect copyright.PENANA4F1Go7byRQ
Claire spoke next, her voice tight, small.340Please respect copyright.PENANAppnn4VVdZL
340Please respect copyright.PENANAAKOZHdVBex
"Cassie's mom told us that Cassie wrote a bunch of letters before she died, to the people she had hurt in her lifetime, and she wanted you to have this."340Please respect copyright.PENANAgnIQyiH9Ft
340Please respect copyright.PENANAF5WzL1GGEI
When Claire passed me an envelope, I stared at it before putting it in my pocket. All I wanted now was to get out of this room, to get as far away from these people as I could. I didn't want to be reminded about Cassie Winter's death, because I thought about it every time I closed my eyes at night.340Please respect copyright.PENANAEOJy9Bebxz
340Please respect copyright.PENANALkoH3gWsfh
So I left.340Please respect copyright.PENANAQj7v7OuloI
340Please respect copyright.PENANAnJBXXnEbEO
On the way out into the parking lot, after being pushed by several students because they couldn't just wait to leave, a hand fell on my shoulder. It gripped tightly at first, whirling me around. I spun and faced a pair of forest green eyes.340Please respect copyright.PENANAFAMaRCVv2A
340Please respect copyright.PENANACEHJzNY2ou
Jude dropped his hand and frowned. "Didn't you hear me calling you?"340Please respect copyright.PENANAVM77c2PlXd
340Please respect copyright.PENANAkYheYoGJBa
"No," I said, shaking my head.340Please respect copyright.PENANAFzfJyd9TyB
340Please respect copyright.PENANA5SF59gwirk
"In your own world, huh?" He smiled. "Mind if I join you there?"340Please respect copyright.PENANAtQHxPKdXG1
340Please respect copyright.PENANAPKy13X7v75
"You wouldn't like my world," I told him, and it was true. He wouldn't do well there. "It's full of horrible things."340Please respect copyright.PENANAoBzP3QxBMi
340Please respect copyright.PENANAuP5pJAyAek
"Like monsters?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.340Please respect copyright.PENANAS7d0CZf18U
340Please respect copyright.PENANAvsa5owcOS9
I suddenly wished the only thing in my world that I had to worry about were monsters. Before I said another word, an arm went around my waist, pulling me close. I inhaled the scent of cinnamon.340Please respect copyright.PENANAIKWiqH7JBM
340Please respect copyright.PENANA47nvLVheFS
"Hey," Christian said roughly into my ear.340Please respect copyright.PENANA5e87wjKzlP
340Please respect copyright.PENANAiRea57xM17
"Hi," I said, winding my own arm around his body. I stared into his hazel eyes, but they weren't looking at me.340Please respect copyright.PENANAJzWgFv72Uc
340Please respect copyright.PENANA0sTJlSpWMF
"Hello, Christian," Jude said softly, inclining his head politely. "How are you today?"340Please respect copyright.PENANA8OUlsURE9P
340Please respect copyright.PENANABrpLfiyYlm
"Not so well. You see, there's this annoying little prick in front of my eyes and it's hard to make it go away. Do you think you can help me with that?" His lips twisted into a nasty smirk.340Please respect copyright.PENANA6LaP5NSBrw
340Please respect copyright.PENANAePuxYIMO0D
I reached up and pinched the back on his neck with my nails, making him wince.340Please respect copyright.PENANA56idGtwnGs
340Please respect copyright.PENANAlNcIY7oUze
"Sorry," I told Jude, "but we have to go. I need to get Christian home before he contracts any more of the asshole disease."340Please respect copyright.PENANAji2a6swFGB
340Please respect copyright.PENANAwA9UO8YDFM
Jude let out a small laugh. "I think he's already caught more than that, darling."340Please respect copyright.PENANAMg4Yi1PeiX
340Please respect copyright.PENANAwSUQc20kYT
Christian's body tensed and he made a low growling noise in the back of his throat. Before he could do any permanent damage, I gripped his wrist and pulled him out the door. When we were finally close to our cars, I glared at him.340Please respect copyright.PENANA48NUkWKmwb
340Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2R1PR0YR3
"You're so rude. What is wrong with you?"340Please respect copyright.PENANAYW2TyAQHPF
340Please respect copyright.PENANAUrewsRMeD6
There was a hard, unkind way he was looking at me.340Please respect copyright.PENANA267CB1LO58
340Please respect copyright.PENANAjOaxlvBmCD
"I don't want to get into this now, Scott, I just want to go home."340Please respect copyright.PENANAzmWAtBSSm0
340Please respect copyright.PENANA6Z2l7ySUX2
I shifted uncomfortably, more from his tone than anything else. I glanced at him. "What time are we meeting later?"340Please respect copyright.PENANAr1J4aSvxgG
340Please respect copyright.PENANAl5SGYTUsQl
He frowned and shook his head. "I don't think it's a good idea right now."340Please respect copyright.PENANA5MEro5ZWLp
340Please respect copyright.PENANAIGQ4tKCM5Y
"Why not?" I asked, my lips twitching. "If it's because of Jude, it's a stupid reason."340Please respect copyright.PENANAwijZ7ZDzxu
340Please respect copyright.PENANA4v98DLGBGn
"It's not," Christian said, sighing. "There's just some stuff going on that I need to figure out and I can't do that with you around. I'm sorry."340Please respect copyright.PENANAQc26ma9f4G
340Please respect copyright.PENANA6ejnDsaBJO
I stood, watching him get into his car, then I turned around to leave, tears blurring my vision. Jude was standing behind me with his hand outstretched. Something in me worked on its own and I walked toward him.340Please respect copyright.PENANAd9tzYX662o